Wednesday, 26 August 2009

Police today warned users of the popular classifieds website Gumtree to be on their guard after a man who responded to a car advert was almost killed in a brutal robbery.

On July 30 the 42-year-old took a large amount of cash to meet the supposed seller of a VW Golf in Barking, east London. He was punched, kicked and stabbed while trying to hold on to his bag, witnesses reported.

He was rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery.

It later emerged that the registered owner of the Golf had no idea it had been advertised for sale.